Israeli Health Minister Yaakov Litzman bristles at the mention of swine flu.

Though that’s the name most international officials have used to describe the pig-born pandemic, Litzman, an Orthodox Jew, insists we should refer to it as "Mexican Flu," because the "swine" offends Jewish and Muslim religious sensibilities. Both religions consider pork to be unclean and prohibit ingestion, so wouldn’t the negative connotations be welcome? And isn’t calling it "Mexican Flu" offensive to Mexican people?

Meanwhile, Israel has identified at least one case of the controversially named illness: A 28-year old man has come down with it, but is expected to make a full recovery. Another man remains in quarantine as doctors determine what ails him, the BBC reports.